Michigan’s 3rd Congressional Race Starts to Thin

After Michigan's 3rd District Congressman Justin Amash left the Republican Party last summer and became and Independent, several people came forward to challenge the incumbent for the seat. The district has traditionally leaned to the right.

At least six Republicans were campaigning for the seat. Jim Lower was one of the first, but withdrew last November. Battle Creek attorney Emily Rafi left the Democratic Party to join the Republican Field.

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On Friday, April 17th, Republican Andrew Jackson Willis dropped out of the race. Willis had hoped to build a grass roots effort, accepting no more than $20 contributions form anyone. But that turned out to be unrealistic, according to a post by Willis on Facebook..

In my initial announcement I said that my campaign would rise or fall at the will of the people. After careful consideration and sincere prayer I have concluded that my campaign cannot compete with the massive amounts of money being poured into this race, and so, with sadness and regret, I am today suspending my campaign.

Incumbent Congressman Justin Amash said this week that he'll decide soon on whether or not he'll stay in the race. Amash says he's is considering a run for the Presidency with the Libertarian party. Amash has often cited "Libertarian Leanings", but is not currently a member of the Libertarian Party. He said on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins that he was interested in seeking the nomination at the Libertarian Party convention in Austin, Texas, which is currently set for the end of May. Amash said he would not seek both the offices and would choose one or the other.

Getty Images by: Bill Pugliano

Another consideration of who will or won't be in that race will depend on whether candidates actually secure enough signatures of registered voters. But the deadline to gather those signatures is Tuesday, April 21st, and it's been nearly impossible to get any signatures in the last month. The governor’s Stay Home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic shut down normal petition circulation on March 23rd.

A federal judge is promising to issue a ruling on a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s signature petition deadline for the August primary.

Conservative Republican Tom Norton told WBCK this week that he's confident he'll have enough signatures to get on the ballot.

With the departure of Willis, there are five Republicans and two Democrats still in the race, along with Amash, for now.